Trap-nest.



CHAELES T. KING,

OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HORACE M.

ANDERSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

TRAP-NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed March 17, 1914. Serial No. 825319.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES T. KING, citizenof the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Islandand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Trap-Nests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hens nests of the class knownas trap nests, and has for one of its objects to improve theConstruction and increase the efiiciency of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed trapnest arranged to permit access to the nest through one wall and providefor the departure of the hen after laying the egg through another of thewalls so that the entering hens and the departing hens do not interferewith each other.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and dei scribed andthen specifieally pointed out in the claims; and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figur-e 1 is aside elevation of the improved nest. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of .Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is alongitudinal section on the line l of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all, the views of the dra'wings by the samereference characters.

The improved device comprises an inclosing casing 10 preferably oblongand of any suitable material and provided with a nest box 11 at one end.The walls of the receptacle 10 may be of any suitable arrangemcnt` openor slatted work, to provide the requisite ventilation, while at the sametime seem-ing the necessary secluson to the hens while laying. Formedthrough one wall of the casing 10, preferably the end farthest from thenest 11, is an opening indicated at 12, while a similar openingindicated at 13 is formed through another wall of the member 10,preferably through one of the sidewalls. Suspended by hinges indicatedat 14 in front of the opening 12 and internally of the casing 10 is amember 15 which thus swings inwardly of the casing. The member 15 isprovided with an opening relatively large at its upper end as indicatedat 16 with the sides of the member 15 directed inwardly as representedat 17 near the lower end of the opening. Swingingly supported at 18above the opening 13 is a member 19 similar to the member 15 andarranged to Swing outwardly from the casing 10 as shown. The member 19is provided with an opening 20 similar to the opening 16 and withinwardly directed lower portions 21 similar to the portions 17, theobject to be hereafter explained.

Hingedly connected at 22 in the lower portion of the casing 10 is aplatform 23, preferably formed of a plurality of spaced slats andextending between hinged portions 22 and the nest box 11. Extending fromthe platform toward the front end of the casing 10 is an arm 2 1, andconnected at 25 to the forward end of the member 24 is another arm 26which extends in parallel relation to the front of the casing andlikewise in parallel relation to the member 15. The arm 26 extendsthrough the side wall of the casing 10 and is adaptcd to be engaged bythe barbed terminal 27 of a swinging arm 28, the barb 27 being soarranged that when engaged by the member 26 the latter will be held inits elevated position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and with the platform23 in its depressed position. Mounted to swing at 29 near the bottom ofthe casing 10 is a closure member 29' which is adapted when in elevatedposition to prevent the entrance of a hen through the opening 12, thenember 29 being preferably provided with relatively large openings toadmit light and likewise to reduce the weight. The arm 26 is preferablyprovided with an anti-friction roller 30 which engages the member 29'when the member 26 is in its elevated position as shown. At its lowerend the member 28 is formed with a relatively wide portion 31 whichextends into the path of the member 19 as shown in Fig. 3. The member 24is relatively slight transversely and will freely bend when the member19 strikes the enlarged terminal 31 of the member 28 and thus detach themember 26 from the barb 27, as hereafter explained.

lVith a device thus constructed the operation is as follows: To set thenest, if the parts are disposed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the member 19is swung outwardly upon its hinges 18 and permitted to drop, the impactof the member 19 against the enlarged portion 31 of the member 28forcing the member 26 endwise and bending the relatively slight member24 laterally and thus throwing the free end of the member 26 fromengagement with the barb 27, and thus permitting the nember 26, which isof su'iicient weight te overbalance the platform to drop and thusreleases the member 20' and permits the latter to drop into horizontalposition and over the member 26. The opening 16 is thus left unguarded,and the hen in passing to the nest ll engages the inwardly directedportions 17 and carries the member 15 inwardly with her, which dropsback to its horizontal position when the hen passes from beneath it. Asthe hen passes over the platform 23, which is in its elevated position,the latter is depressed by the weight of the hen and the member 26elevated which movement causes the roller 30 to engage the member 29'and elevate the same into its vertical position, and at the same timethe free end of the member 26 engages the barb 27 of the member 23 anddisplaces the latter and permits the barb to engage beneath the free endof the member 26 and thus locks the parts in the position shown in F ig.4 and maintains the member 29' in front of the opening 16 and thusprevents another hen from passing to the nest so long as the first henremains in position. After the egg is laid the hen passes over theplatform 23 into the body of the casing 10, but does not move the member23 because the latter is in its downward position and bears by its innerend upon the floor of the casing. The only exit to the hen is throughthe opening 13 partly closed by the member 19 which is caused to swingoutwardly as the hen passes through the opening and engages the inwardlydirected portions 21, and as the hen passes from beneath the member 19the latter drops and applies a relatively heavy blow to the projectingportion 31 of the member 28 and thus bends the member 24 as beforedescribed and releases the member 26 from engagement with the barb andpermits the weight of the member 26 to depress the member 24 and elevatethe platform 23 into its former position, this movement likewisereleasing the member 29' which drops into its horizontal position, asbefore de scribed, and again provides free access to the nest for thenext hen. Mounted for rotation in a hanger 32 on the casing 10 near theexit opening 13 is a small shaft 33 having a turn knob 34: at its outerend and a lateral arm 35 at the inner end, the latter Operating againstthe inner face of the swinging member 19 to hold the latter away fromthe casing when the shaft is disposed in one position, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 3, to prevent the member 19 from striking themember 28-27 and releasing the closure 29' when the hen passes throughthe exit 13.

By this means one hen at a time may be trapped and the owner enabled toascertain what hens operate the nest but lay no eggs. This lookingarrangement also enables the owner to keep the eggs laid by anyparticular hen separate from others. The lock feature is therefore animportant element of applicanfis device and adds materially to its valueand efiiciency.

The casing 10 is inclosed in a suitable yard formed by poultry fencingor the like, as indicated at 36, so that the hens who have used the nestdo not again mingle with the hens who have not used the nest. The twoelasses of hens are thus kept separate and the hen upon the nest isprotected from intrusion during the egg laying operation.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensivelymanufactured and of any suitable material, and arranged in groups orseparate as may be preferred.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a closure for the inlet movable inwardly bygravity, a member within the inclosure and adapted to be actuated by ahen and including an arm extending into the path of the inlet closureand operative to close the same when actuated, a catch device adapted toautomatically engage said arm and hold it in engagement with the inletclosure, and means operative by a hen in passing through the outlet forreleasing said catch device.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising an inclosure havingan inlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a novably supportedclosure for the inlet, a platform movably supported between the nest andthe inlet and adapted to be operated by a hen in passing to the nest,means con` nected to said platform and including a member extending intothe path of said inlet closure for aetuating the same and holding it inclosed position, a catch device in position to engage said closureholding member, and a movable member adapted to be displaced by the henin passing through the outlet and engaging the catch device to releasethe inlet closure holding member therefrom.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure for the inlet, a platform movably supported between the nest andthe inlet and adapted to be operated by a hen in passing to the nest,means connected to said platform and including a member extending intothe path of said inlet closure for actuating the same and holding it inclosed position, and means adapted to be displaced by the hen in passingthrough the outlet to release the inlet closure holding means at itsreturn movement.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure for the inlet, a platform movably supported between the nest andthe inlet and adapted to be operated by a hen in passing to the nest,means connected to said platform and including a member extending intothe path of said inlet closure for actuating the same and holding it inclosed position, a catch device in position to engage said closureholding member, and a movable member adapted to be displaced by the henin passing through the outlet and engaging the catch device to releasethe inlet closure holding member therefrom at its return movement.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure for the inlet, means adapted to be operated by a hen in passingto the nest for actuating said inlet closure, means adapted to beoperated by a hen in passing through the outlet for releasing the inletclosure, and means for looking said relcasing means from action.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure for the inlet, a platform movably supported between the nest andthe inlet and adapted to be operated by a hen passing to the nest, meansconnected to said platform and including a member extending into thepath of said inlet closure and actuating the same and holding it inclosed position, a catch device in position to engage said closureholding member, a movable member adapted to be displaced by the hen inpassing through the outlet and adapted to engage the catch device torelease the inlet closure holding member theret'rom at its returnmovement, and means for locking said movable member from action.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest 'within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure 'or the inlet, means operative by a hen in passing to the nestfor closing said inlet closure and holding it in closed position, acatch device in position to engage said closure holding means, and amovable member adapted to be displaced by the hen passing in through theoutlet and engaging the catch dci'ice to release the inlet closureholding means tlicreiirom at its re turn movement.

8. An mparatus of the class described comprising :in inclcsui'c havingan inlet and an outlet, a nest within the nclosure, a inovably supportedclosure for the inlet, means operative by a hen in passing to the nestfor closing said inlet closure and holding it in closed position, acatch device in position to engage said closure holding means, a movablemember adapted to be displaced by a hen in passing through the outletand engaging the catch device to release the inlet closure holding meansthere'rom at its return movement, and means for holding' said movablemember out of action.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising an inclosure having aninlet and an outlet, a nest within the inclosure, a movably supportedclosure for the inlet, means operative by a hen in passing to the nestfor closing said inlet closure and holding it in closed position, acatch device in position to engage said closure holding means, a movablemember adapted to be depressed by a hen in passing through the outletand engaging the catch device to release the inlet closure holding meanstherefrom at its return movement, and an arm adapted to be extended intothe path of said movable member to hold the same out of action.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES T. KING.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner o! Patents,

Washington, D. C."

